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NITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

ALRERT E. MILLER., OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIeNOR, Ev MEsNE AssIeN- MENTs, To THE BURR RED COMPANY, OE sAME PLACE.

BEDSTEAD.

SPECIFJCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,742, dated July 7, 1885.

Application tiled December 19, 1833.

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ghicago, in the county of Cook and State-of Illinois, have made certain new and useful lmprovements in Bedsteads; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My present invention has relation to the improvement of cabinet or folding bedsteads, eX- amples of which are shown in Letters Patent granted to S. S. Burr on the 4th day of July, 1876, and on the 7th day of June, 1877.

Prior to the date of the above patents it had been proposed in the construction of cabinet or folding bedsteads to secure the desirable elasticity of the bed-bottom by providing such bottom throughout its length with transverse rowsof spiral springsfastened rigidly to the bed-frame and adapted to support the cover on which the mattress rested. This construetion was found objectionable, for the reason that when the bed was folded the springs occupied so much space as to require a large and cumbersome cabinet. This objection was obviated by the inventions set out in the abovecited patents, wherein the spiral springs having vertical play were dispensed with, and a longitudinally elastic bed-bottom of wovenwire was substituted for supporting the mattress. This improved construction allowed a much smaller and moresightly cabinet tobe employed, and large numbers of beds upon such pattern have gone into general use. To prevent the sagging of the longitudinally-elastic bed-bottom incident to its becoming permanently stretched after long or severe usage, it was proposed, as will appear from Letters Patent granted to S. S. Burr on the 9th dayof December, 1879, to place beneath the cent-ral portion of the elastic bed bottom cover a transverse row of spiral springs carried by the bed-frame. Such construction has not been employed, however, to any considerable eX- tent, for the reason that asingle row of coiled springs would form a ridge across the bed in case the cover became permanently stretched,

5o and would not prevent the sagging of thebot- (No I nodcl.)

tom on either side of the springs. Moreover, the springs,being disconnected from the cover, were liable to become displaced, and the weight upon the springs being borne directly by the bed-frame was liable to speedily crack and loosen the same.

My present invention has for its object,iirst, to overcome the above-mentioned objections and to provide a bedstead which shall have the desired elasticity; which shall have its bottomcover sustained from the ends of the bedframe, and in such manner that it will not sag;Iv and Whicl1,wl1en folded, will occupy but little space.

My invention has also for its object to provide an improved top board or frame-cover for cabinet-bedsteads, which, when the bedframe is in folded position, will fit over the ends thereof and form a top for the cabinet,

and which, when the bed is in position for use, may be readily slipped out of the way.

The irstof these objects of invention I have accomplished by placing beneath the central portion of a cover, preferably longitudinally inelastic, for the folding bed-bottom a series ot' coiled springs supported upon a suitable movable platform, or slats sustained by fiexible cables that are suspended from a bed-frame.

The second object of invention is attained by providing the head-board of the folding bedstead with a top board or frame-cover having a ilexible and a rigid pcrtion,and with brackets for sustaining said rigid portion in horizontal position.

The nature of the invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,and its scope will be defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a plan view,partly in section, of the bedstead in extended position. Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal vertical section, showing the bed-frame in folded position. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical longitudinal section showing the bed-frame in extended position. Figs. 4 and 5, respectively, plan and sectional views showing portions of the inelastic bed-bottom cover. Fig. 6 is a detail view in vertical section through a portion of the head board, showing a portion of the top board or framecover held in horizontal position by brackets.

IOO

A designates the main body of the case or cabinet, and B and C denote the two folding sections ofthe hed-frame, which are hinged together, as at ai, are pivoted to the cabinet, as at 3f, and are provided with suitable folding legs e a, which aid in sustaining thebed-fra-me when extended for use. These several parts being similar in their construction and mode of operation to the corresponding parts in the patents above referred to, need not be particularly described here. To the ends b and c of the folding sections of the bed-frame are connected the ends of the bed-bottom cover D, preferably by attachment to the cross-bars b and e', securely bolted to the frame. The cover D is preferably of woven wire, and through the meshes of this cover pass aseries of straight wires or cables, E, which are fastened to the cross-bars b o', and sust-ain the cover and render it longitudinally inelastic. This rendering of the cover inelastic is a highly-important feature, particularly in folding beds, as thereby is avoided the stretching or sagging of the cover found in longitudinally-elastic bed bottoms, and resulting from long or severe usage or from straining the cover over heavy mattresses and bed-clothing. Through the end c of the section C, and at points very near the bar e', pass the enlarged endsf of the suspension-cables F, the opposite ends, f', of which pass through and are held by the stirrups f2, attached to the bar b2 by means of the bolts f, the threaded ends of which pass through the siii-rups, and are furnished with the nuts f* for adjusting the stirrups, as will presently appear. i Resting upon and suitably connected to the suspension-cables F, at points beneath the central portion of the cover D, are the cross-slats G, which form a platform for carrying the spiral springs II, having their upper ends preferably connected to the under side of the cover, so that all danger of accidental displacement ofthe springs will be avoided. It is important to support the spiral springs upon sla-ts, as shown, as by so doing all lateral movement and danger of their displacement in the operation of folding the bed is avoided. These spiral springs serve to keep the cover of the bed-bottom taut when the frame is extended, and by supporting them upon the flexible suspension-cables I secure not only a bed-bottom that can be conveniently and neatly folded, but also, by reason of the fact that the suspension-cables hold the springs close beneath the cover and readily yield to the varying positions of the occupant of the bed, I am enabled to use springs of about onchalfthc height of those necessary where the springs are attached directly to the framework. Moreover, this manner of sustaining the springs possesses the further advantage of avoiding all strain upon the case incident to the direct attachment of the springs thereto.

It will be readily seen that by means of the stirrups f2, bolts f, and nuts f" the adjustment of the suspension-cables F can be easily effected to vary the tension of the springs te suit the weight of thc occupant of the bed.

The adjustment of the suspension cables, however, is for convenience, merci y, and forms no part of my invention; and it will be understood that the peculiar advantages of the organization of parts devised by me remains unchanged, whether the snspensioncables be adjustable or not.

I am, moreover,well aware that prior to my invention it had been already proposed to make the suspension-cables which support the spiral springs beneath the bed-bottom cover adjustable; hence it is that I do not wish to be understood as making claim to any such subject-matter.

A portion of thc head-board A of' the bedstead is left open, as shown, to allow for better ventilation of the bedding. Across theuppcr solid part of this head-board extends the slot a2, of a size adapted to permit the easy movement therein of the top board I, the function of' which is to close thetop of the cabinet when the bed-frame is in folded position. A portion of this top board (more orless, as desired) is made flexible, preferably by uniting the strips z' to a suitable cloth backing, so that when the bed is extended the flexible part of' the top board may be pushed back and downward out of the way, while the solid part is allowed to drop upon the head board. A iiange or stop, i, will prevent the withdrawal of the flexible strips from the slot.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. (i of the drawings the head-board is shown as provided with the small ornamental brackets I', which wil] serve to hold the rigid portion of the top board in horizontal position to form a shelf.

It will be understood, of course, that single wires or steel bands may be employed for the suspensioncables, instead of the wire rope shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combinaiion, with the bed frame formed of folding sections, of a bottom-cover, a series of springs located centrally beneath said bottom-cover, a platform or slats for preventing disarrangement of said springs, and flexible cables for sustaining said platform connected to the ends of the bed-frame, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the bed frame formed of folding sections, of a flexible longitudinallyinelastic bottom cover, a series of springs located beneath the central portion of said cover, a platform for sustaining said springs, and flexible cables for supporting said platform, substantially as described.

3. The co1nbination,with a bed-frame formed of folding sections, of a fiexible wire bottom cover having the straight wires E, extending longitudinally through the same and connected to the ends ofthe bed-frame, a series of IIO springs located beneath the central portion of brackets for sustaining said rigid portion in said cover, a platform or slats for preventing horizontalposition, substantially as described. IO

the disarrengement of said springs, and feXi- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set ble cables for sustaining said platform or slats, my hand this 15th day of December, 1883. 5 substantially as described. ALBERT F. MILLER.

4. The combination, with the folding bcd- In presence offrame and itshead-board,of e top board having JAMES H. PEIRCE,

a lleXiblc portion and a rigid portion, andl GEO. P. FISHER, Jr. 

